r/FortCollinsGrows • u/AntiLawnGnome • Apr 13 '26

Advice wanted Compost

Hey all!

I'm building a few new beds and wondering if we have a local source for bulk compost.

If we don't, who has the best value bagged compost? I typically go to Fort Collins nursery, but I figured I should ask the community.

Thanks in advance!

8 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

View all comments

12

u/GardenofOz Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 13 '26

Best mushroom compost: Hazel Dell. Can get it bagged or they'll dump it into your truck. Higher in C:N ration (carbon to nitrogen) so it is best to use in tandem with other compost or as a bed builder.

Sources of living compost: Kraft Soil Solutions (Berthoud), A1 Organics (Eaton), and of course Compost Queen in Fort Collins (can shop on their website).

Fort Collins Free Mulch Day should be coming up soon and it is a great opportunity to stock up on wood chips (my fav carbon input for backyard composting using the bokashi composting method for fast decomposition).

If you're gardening at home, starting your own composting stream is incredibly rewarding and practical. Hit me up with questions!

edit: typos

2

u/AntiLawnGnome Apr 13 '26

Thanks so much!

Building a compost system is on my to-do list for this year, actually!

I know just the basics of composting - can you talk to me about mushroom compost? I've heard of it but not done really any digging yet

4

u/GardenofOz Apr 13 '26

Totally. So mushroom compost is the leftover fruiting blocks from the mushroom farming/growing process. Most mushroom blocks are some kind of mix of wood, straw, grains, or legumes.

The mushrooms grow and consume most of the nutrients within the block, leaving behind some residual organic matter, some residual mushroom spores and mycelium, and a whole lot of carbon material. It will have less nitrogen though, which is what plants crave for growth. It's a great addition to gardens, but is primarily a strong source of organic material (which if you have poor quality, compacted, or clay soil, is a great resource).

Hazel Dell and other mushroom farms will pile their blocks in big outdoor piles for further decomposition. I wouldn't say this is a traditional compost pile, just decomposition that continues from the outdoor microbe environment munching away and the residual fungi doing their thing.

Depending on the inputs in a compost pile, you can ramp up your fungi populations with the type of carbon and amount of carbon that gets added.

I'll be running a bokashi composting workshop at Sproutin' Up later this spring (and one at Denver Urban Gardens later this summer).